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Bloomberg Donates $1 Million to Black Wall Street

Michael Bloomberg

Tulsa has been named a Bloomberg Philanthropies 2018 Public Art Challenge winner. Tulsa will receive $1 million for “The Greenwood Art Project,” a group of temporary public artworks which celebrate and commemorate a vibrant community in the Historic Greenwood District known as Black Wall Street.

Michael Bloomberg, philanthropist and former New York City Mayor, joined  Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum and artist Rick Lowe held a celebratory news conference at the Greenwood Cultural Center.

Black Wall Street was the most prominent district of black-owned businesses in the United States in the early 20th century. Located in the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, in 1921 this community was devastated by racially motivated attacks known as the Tulsa Race Massacre. Urban renewal projects in the 1950s and 1960s, including the construction of a major highway through Greenwood, further harmed the area. This public art project seeks to celebrate the history of Black Wall Street and create a more equitable future for residents and visitors.

For the “Greenwood Art Project,” Rick Lowe, nationally renowned artist and founder of Project Row Houses, will work with local artists to tell the story of this neighborhood through a series of installations. Eight art installations will be located at significant sites throughout this historic district, including at the John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Center and the Greenwood Cultural Center.